The present invention relates to communication gateways. More specifically, the present invention relates to communication gateway adapters.
Time division multiple access (TDMA) cordless phone systems provide a base unit, which is able to provide connections for a plurality of mobile units, such as handsets. Such TDMA systems use time division to provide a plurality of slots, where the base (fixed part (FP)) transmits to an individual (portable part (PP)) mobile unit during a particular slot of time and receives from the individual mobile unit during a particular slot of time. Some TDMA standards may be WDCT, HOME-RF, and Bluetooth. One standard for TDMA systems is the Digital European Cordless Telecommunications DECT Common interface standard described in ETS 300 175-2 and ETS 300 175-3, published by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute. The DECT standard is also discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,574 entitled “PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ACTION CONTROL IN A TIME SLOT METHOD”, to Boetzel et al. issued Jun. 20, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,338 entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE PSCN PARAMETER STARTING FROM THE MFN PARAMETER IN A DECT CORDLESS TELEPHONE SYSTEM” to Rossella et al. issued Jul. 11, 2000, which are incorporated by reference. Such systems may be used in households and small businesses. Such systems may be considered as narrow band applications, since the data transmitted along less channels than a broadband cable system. More specifically, a narrowband system may be defined as having all of the narrowband applications sharing a single channel.
In households, small businesses, and remote office branch offices it may be desirable to have a broadband network with a broadband gateway, which may provide more than one channel over a single wire. Such a broadband network may be a network linking computers and allowing the transfer of a large capacity of data between computers. Allowing a high capacity transfer of data may allow quicker surfing of the World Wide Web, the reception of video, or the downloading of computer files. Such broadband gateways may be difficult to install. Telephone companies may calculate several hours of work to make such gateways work as the customer expects them to work.
Providing separate cordless telephone connections and broadband connections increases complexity in wiring.
It would be desirable to provide a plug and play gateway for households, small office home offices, small businesses, and remote office branch offices that provides both cordless narrow band communication and broadband communication for voice and data transfers that is easy to install.